Cowgirl Creamery

What Cowgirl Creamery does

Cowgirl Creamery is an artisan organic cheese producer founded in 1997 by Sue Conley and Peggy Smith and headquartered at a creamery facility on Cader Lane in Petaluma, Sonoma County, California, with a corporate address on Lakeville Highway and the original renovated hay barn in Point Reyes Station retained within its footprint. The company makes a portfolio of organic, pasture-based cheeses from milk sourced exclusively from local Sonoma County dairies, applying traditional European techniques including bloomy rind, washed rind, and triple cream production combined with affineurs-style aging. Core SKUs comprise the flagship Mt Tam triple cream, washed rind Red Hawk triple cream, calendula-and-basil-topped Pierce Point, pepper-flecked Devil's Gulch, cider-washed Hop Along, the versatile meltable Wagon Wheel, extra-aged Wagon Wheel Reserve (180+ days minimum), and Triple Cream Brie distributed exclusively through Murray's kiosks in Kroger stores; seasonal Heart's Desire (a heart-shaped Mt Tam) and curated gift collections round out the catalog. Proprietary process features include a three-stage Mt Tam ripening progression (Young/Ripe/Mature), hand-applied organic herb and flower toppings, brine-washed rind protocols that yield Red Hawk's signature aroma, and triple cream formulations with minimum 75% butterfat that produce a distinctive 'heart' paste texture, with Petaluma operations running composting and energy-efficiency programs that save approximately 80 tons of CO2 annually.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid go-to-market model spanning direct-to-consumer e-commerce (cowgirlcreamery.com, Shopify-powered, plus the Goldbelly marketplace), wholesale distribution operated through Tomales Bay Foods to fine cheese shops, specialty grocers and Whole Foods Markets nationwide, foodservice supply to restaurants such as Zuni Cafe and other Bay Area establishments, an enterprise corporate gifting program served through the Goldbelly concierge with FedEx Overnight shipping to all 50 states, exclusive retail presence via Murray's Cheese kiosks in Kroger stores, and Instacart same-day delivery in select retail markets. Curated gift collections (Cowgirl Classic $99.95, Deluxe $115.95, Just Add Wine $125.95, Ultimate Cowgirl Experience $149.95, The Starter Course $189.95) anchor the direct offering alongside a quarterly Seasonal Cheese Club subscription at $124.95 with auto-renewal and free shipping. The customer base spans premium consumer cheese enthusiasts, corporate gift buyers, foodservice and specialty retail operators, and the Northern California artisan cheese community, with the company operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Swiss dairy company Emmi since the 2016 acquisition.

International competition validation has been consistent across cycles — including Pierce Point's 99.925 Best of Class at the 2026 World Championship Cheese Contest, Red Hawk's Gold at the 2025 American Cheese Society Awards, and Silver honors at the 2022 and 2025 World Cheese Awards — supporting a premium positioning strategy that emphasizes organic sourcing, regional terroir from Marin and Sonoma Counties, and long-tenured brand heritage rather than scale or efficiency.

Name

Cowgirl Creamery

Legal name

Cowgirl Creamery

Website

https://cowgirlcreamery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Cowgirl Creamery is an artisan organic cheese producer founded in 1997 in Petaluma, California, and owned by Swiss dairy company Emmi since 2016. It sells award-winning organic triple cream and washed rind cheeses via DTC e-commerce, wholesale, foodservice, corporate gifting, and Murray's/Kroger retail kiosks nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Specialty Cheese

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115), Dairy Product (except Dried or Canned) Merchant Wholesalers (424430)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Ripened Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Semi-Soft, Hard & Blue) (AFAHABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cheese Packaging & Portioning (Retail Packs, Snack Packs, Singles) (AFAHABAI), Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAB), Cheese Wholesale (AFAIAEAC)

Keywords

• Artisan organic cheese
• Specialty cheese production
• Cheese gift collections
• Cheese subscription service
• Farmstead dairy products

Headquarters

HQ city

Petaluma

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce: Online sales through cowgirlcreamery.com and Goldbelly marketplace for individual consumers purchasing cheese collections, seasonal boxes, and subscriptions. Orders ship nationwide with sustainable packaging.
2. Corporate Gifting: B2B corporate gifting program through Goldbelly partnership, offering curated cheese collections for employee gifts, client appreciation, and special occasions. Ships to all 50 states.
3. Seasonal Cheese Club Subscription: Quarterly subscription service delivering seasonal cheese collections with accompaniments. Auto-renews with payment method on file. $124.95 per quarter with free shipping.
4. Wholesale Distribution: Wholesale inquiries managed through Tomales Bay Foods ([email protected]). Products sold to fine cheese shops, grocers including Whole Foods, and restaurants nationwide.
5. Retail Kiosk Sales: Triple Cream Brie distributed exclusively through Murray's kiosks in Kroger stores, providing retail channel presence for mass-market consumers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cowgirl Creamery produces and sells a portfolio of organic, artisan cheeses (including Mt Tam, Red Hawk, Pierce Point, Devil's Gulch, Hop Along, Wagon Wheel, Wagon Wheel Reserve, and Triple Cream Brie) made from locally-sourced Sonoma County milk using traditional European cheesemaking techniques. Its offerings are sold to individual consumers through direct-to-consumer e-commerce, the Goldbelly marketplace, curated gift collections, and a quarterly subscription Cheese Club, and to businesses through wholesale distribution, foodservice supply, corporate gifting, and Murray's kiosks in Kroger stores.

Product overview

Cowgirl Creamery is an artisan organic cheese company that operates as a single unified product brand rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The company produces a portfolio of award-winning organic cheeses (Mt Tam, Red Hawk, Pierce Point, Devil's Gulch, Hop Along, Wagon Wheel, Wagon Wheel Reserve, Triple Cream Brie, and seasonal varieties like Heart's Desire) sold both as individual products and as curated gift collections (Cowgirl Classic, Cowgirl Creamery Deluxe, The Ultimate Cowgirl Experience, Just Add Wine, The Starter Course). The company also offers seasonal cheese subscription clubs and corporate gifting services, all powered by Shopify e-commerce and fulfilled through Goldbelly.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mt Tam

Quantifiable outcome

• Pierce Point scored 99.925 at 2026 World Championship Cheese Contest, earning Best of Class
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rustic BakerycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 September 2025Joint cheese collaboration celebrating Rustic Bakery's 20th anniversary. Created 'Howdy, Partner' product combining Cowgirl Creamery's triple cream cheese with Rustic Bakery's Chipotle & Cayenne Biscuit. Long-term partnership between two Bay Area artisan food brands dating back two decades.
• GoldbellycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerExclusive nationwide shipping and fulfillment partner for Cowgirl Creamery's online store and corporate gifting program. Goldbelly handles customer service, order processing, and FedEx Overnight shipping to all 50 states. Partnership enables e-commerce and gifting operations.
• Tomales Bay FoodscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale distribution business originally co-founded by Cowgirl Creamery founders. Now handles wholesale inquiries for Cowgirl Creamery products to fine cheese shops, grocers, and restaurants nationwide. Contact: [email protected]
• Murray's Cheese (Kroger)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive retail distribution partnership for Triple Cream Brie through Murray's kiosks in Kroger stores nationwide. Provides mass-market retail presence beyond specialty channels.
• Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal conservation organization founded 1980 by Ellen Straus. Has permanently preserved over 44,100 acres of farmland in Marin County through conservation easements. Supports viability of local agriculture that provides milk for Cowgirl Creamery. Cowgirl founders active in MALT advocacy.
• Straus Family CreameryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEllen Straus, matriarch of Straus Family Creamery and 'honorary Cowgirl,' was a mentor who convinced founders to begin making cheese. Represents network of organic dairy pioneers in the region.
• American Cheese SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational grassroots organization founded 1983 supporting American artisan cheese makers. Cowgirl founders and team members serve on ACS committees and board. Company participates in annual conference and competitions.
• California Artisan Cheese GuildminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState guild supporting artisan cheese makers through education, networking, and events including California Artisan Cheese Festival and San Francisco Cheese Festival. Cowgirl Sales Manager Candace Allen served as Past President.
• Local Sonoma County Dairy FarmscoreOthersNetwork of local dairies in Sonoma County providing organic, pasture-based cow's milk. These farmer partners are stewards of local farmland and open spaces. Milk quality directly impacts cheese character and terroir expression.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Tillamook: Oregon-based farmer-owned dairy cooperative producing a broad portfolio of cheeses, ice cream, and dairy products. Larger incumbent in the same Pacific Northwest craft dairy space with significantly broader national retail distribution and far larger scale than Cowgirl Creamery.
• Bel Brands USA: US subsidiary of Bel Group (The Laughing Cow, Boursin, Babybel). Large incumbent in specialty and snack cheese categories with mass-market retail presence, providing competitive pressure on triple cream brie and snack cheese formats that overlap with Cowgirl's portfolio.
• Emmi Roth: Wisconsin-based specialty cheese brand owned by Emmi (the same Swiss parent that owns Cowgirl Creamery). Sibling brand in the Emmi portfolio offering aged and specialty cheeses (e.g., Grand Cru, Roth Private Reserve), sharing corporate resources and the IDDBA showcase mentioned in the company data.

Direct peers

• Cypress Grove: California-based artisan cheesemaker famous for Humboldt Fog and other bloomy rind goat cheeses. Direct peer in category, format, and premium retail presence, competing for similar cheese counter and gift collection mindshare in the artisan cheese space.
• Rogue Creamery: Oregon-based artisan creamery known for award-winning blue cheeses (e.g., Rogue River Blue). Direct peer in craft cheesemaking, national specialty distribution, and international competition circuit where both brands win top awards.
• Marin French Cheese: California-based artisan brie and soft-ripened cheese producer (founded 1865) based in Marin County. Direct peer in category (soft-ripened/triple cream) and regional identity, with overlapping distribution through specialty retailers and foodservice in the same Northern California market.
• Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese: California artisan cheese producer based in Marin County, making organic and conventional cheeses (e.g., Original Blue, Bay Blue, Toma) from local dairy. Closest geographic and product peer to Cowgirl Creamery, with overlapping Sonoma/Marin terroir, premium retail distribution, and similar craft-organic positioning.
• Jasper Hill Farm: Vermont-based artisan cheese producer and affineur (Harbison, Bayley Hazen Blue, Winnimere). Direct peer in artisan aging techniques and premium cheese category; Cowgirl Creamery's Starter Course collection even features a Jasper Hill Harbison, reflecting their position in the same premium cheese ecosystem.
• Vermont Creamery: Vermont-based artisan dairy producer of fresh and aged cheeses, butter, and cultured products. Direct peer in premium American artisan cheesemaking, foodservice relationships, and the same award/tasting community, with comparable premium price points and brand story.
• Beehive Cheese Company: Utah-based artisan cheesemaker producing premium cow's milk cheeses (e.g., Barely Buzzed, SeaHive). Direct peer in craft cheesemaking, specialty retail/gourmet distribution, and the same California Artisan Cheese Guild community; Cowgirl Creamery's new Sales Manager joined from Beehive Cheese.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cowgirlcreamery
• Facebookfacebook.com/cowgirlcreamery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cowgirl-creamery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cowgirl Creamery